An interesting thing has been happening in the world of blogging over the past couple of years. You may have noticed the surge in “from blogger to book deals” happening. It seems like every time I open my browser, I see an announcement of a blogger who is now writing a cookbook.

There are some incredibly talented bloggers out there who have taken their success from their blog to the publishing world and have created some beautiful works of art. Over this next week, I’m going to highlight recipes from some of the cookbooks that have come across my desk recently from bloggers I am happy to call friends. I receive a lot of cookbooks in the mail…and I get to smile big when I see it is the cookbook of a friend. I know a lot of talented people and know how much heart and soul goes into putting a cookbook together. The books I’m sharing this week are some of my newest favorites. I hope you enjoy the peek into the books and order a copy or two of your own.

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This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Gina Kleinworth who was selected by Random.org. Thanks for entering!

Like many young people, who leave the nest and head off to college, I gained the “Freshman Fifteen”. I can pinpoint my extra pounds to one thing… it certainly wasn’t from the not so great dorm food. It wasn’t even because I partied hard and consumed my calories in beer. Just about every single extra pound came from the most delicious, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls at the restaurant I was a waitress at.

Geesh – I think I have bad eating habits now…when I was in college my eating habits were pretty awful. The restaurant I worked at had a bakery with these huge dinner rolls that were served fresh from the oven, with loads of melted butter dripping off the tops. The aroma of them wafted through the restaurant and man… it was impossible to resist. On my short breaks, I would always grab a roll (or a couple) to quickly snarf down so I could get back to my tables.

Homemade bread has always been my weakness.

This Buttery Dinner Roll Recipe is from Food.com and is one I’ve been using for the past 10 years for our family Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. It is simply the best dinner roll recipe I’ve ever tried so I haven’t felt the need to stray too far looking for anything better.  (more…)

I grew up in a home where bread with stuff in it was the norm. Hearty whole grain bread with oatmeal, nuts, wheat bits and more… the more stuff baked inside the bread, the better. I not so affectionately called it old people bread. Oh, how I longed for soft, tender pieces of white Wonder bread.  It rarely happened… at our house my parents loved old people bread so that’s what we all got.

Fast forward to today… I can’t get enough of old people bread. I love real butter slathered on a slice of whole grain bread or thick oatmeal bread…or “oldmeal” bread. (more…)

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You’ll have to excuse the inappropriateness of this post. I fully understand your position.. it’s 100 zillion degrees outside and the last thing you want to be tempted with is something that requires you to turn on your oven.

Baking. In the heat of the summer. Who does that?

I do!

And you should too.

Here’s an oldie but goodie (blogged before on Dine & Dish) recipe to get you in the mood…classic Beer Bread. Not the kind you mix up from a box, but just as simple.

Turn on your oven and heat things up even more. It’s so worth it. I promise!

First off, you are welcome for the 1980′s Billy Ocean song reference. So sorry if it is stuck in your head for the rest of the day. It’s quite the catchy little tune, right?

So… pita bread. I love it, don’t you? Do you want to know what I love even more? Homemade pita bread! I just made it for the first time and holy moly, never again will I go back to buying pita bread in the store.

My dreams of making pita bread began when I started reading The Hunger Games series. You know, with Peeta being a bread baker and all, every time I read his name (which as you know, is all the time in those books) my mind wandered off to pita bread.

Then, while visiting Chicago recently, Cheryl and I ran over to a place called the Sweetwater Tavern and Grill for an afternoon snack. Their artichoke dip with fresh herb pita bread was incredible. Needless to say I’ve been dreaming of pita bread ever since.

Everything came full circle yesterday when I sent a tweet about the pita bread at Sweetwater Tavern and Grill to Velva. As soon as I sent that tweet, my mouth started craving pita bread and this time, I wasn’t going to let it slip by. I decided to head over to my favorite site for yeast bread recipes and get hooked up with some homemade pita bread, pronto.

Homemade pita bread is easy to make, and I went an even simpler route by entrusting my bread machine to do most of the work. When the oven opened, and the smell of homemade bread made it’s way through the house, I soon had a kitchen full of family members, ready to try out this delicious bread. It was so good that I had to threaten my kids within an inch of their lives to not eat the last few pieces. You see, I hadn’t taken pictures for you yet and I needed to save some bread for this morning when there would be some natural light to photograph the last couple of pieces.

If you have been craving homemade pita bread, or even if you just now realized you need some of this in your life, go make some, asap. In the words of Billy Ocean, get out of my dreams… (and into my mouth!) Enjoy!

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The SoupaPalooza linkup beings tomorrow and I am so ready! I thought and thought about what kind of soup to share with you for our second annual #SoupaPalooza. At first I was thinking I wanted to share some kind of French Onion soup. Then, after spending a few days last week with a sick kid, I thought a comforting Chicken Noodle Soup would be good. Finally, a shift in thinking occurred when I noticed my kids gobbling up broccoli night after night at dinner. It was then I remembered that I have never introduced them to the goodness of Broccoli Cheese Soup!

Is there a more perfect soup than a hot bowl of cheesy broccoli soup? I’m sure this could be easily up for debate, but for me, Broccoli Cheese Soup tops the list as one of my faves.

The recipe I use comes from an old church cookbook that I have hung onto through the years. It is a simple soup recipe with so much flavor… you are going to love it!

If you know me at all, you understand that soup without bread is a sin… so… I whipped up a batch of the most delicious Whole Wheat Cottage Cheese Rolls from the Red Star Yeast website! Since Red Star Yeast is my favorite yeast to use, I was thrilled when they jumped on board as a SoupaPalooza sponsor. They have so many recipes on their website, with clear instructions for use with a bread machine or by hand. The Whole Wheat Cottage Cheese Rolls were so soft and tender and the entire batch was gone before sunrise the next morning. We loved them that much! Make sure to check out the recipe on the Red Star Yeast website and browse around for other great bread recipes to pair with your soup!

While you’re browsing recipes… make sure to head over to the TidyMom blog and check out Cheryl’s Creamy Bacon Potato Soup. I wish I had a bowl to spoon up right now!

Before I share the Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe, just a quick reminder that tomorrow kicks off the 2nd annual Soupapalooza! Cheryl of TidyMom and I along with our sponsors would like to invite YOU to share up to two of your favorite soup, stew or chili recipes!! New posts, old posts, non-bloggers, bloggers… everyone is invited! Just click here if you need more information on how to join in on the 2nd annual SoupaPalooza linkup! There are some fabulous prizes to be won and you have a week to link up your recipes!

Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup (Adapted from the Sacred Heart of Shawnee Cookbook)

• 1 Tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 1/4 teaspoon Allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

1. In a small skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon butter. Add onions and saute until tender. Set aside.
2. In a large stock pot, whisk together 1/4 cup butter and flour over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Continue stirring while adding the half-and-half cream. Whisk in the chicken broth and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the broccoli and cooked onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
4. Stir in Allspice, ground cloves, salt and pepper. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted.  Ladle into serving bowls and top with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

I just got done making the easiest loaf of homemade bread, ever. I make homemade bread a lot… I enjoy making bread but often times will use my bread machine to make things easier.

I’ve known about the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Cookbook for quite some time, but had ignored making it because I assumed that it meant “babysitting” bread for five minutes each day. I have four kids to take care of and do not have time to babysit food! After doing some research, I discovered I was totally wrong. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is about making a batch of the dough and then snipping off pieces when you need it, giving you the opportunity to have fresh, homemade bread on any given night.

Anyway, excuse the pictures… they are taken with my iPhone, but I wanted to get my thoughts about this great book out to you today. If you have last minute Christmas shopping to do, this is a great book to pick up! I was able to download it on my Kindle today and had it to use instantly.

For the basic recipe, feel free to visit that Artisan Bread in Five website. For a variety of quick and delicious bread recipes, make sure to put this cookbook on your must have list. As someone who doesn’t keep a lot of cookbooks on my shelf, I can tell you this one is well worth making room for!

If you’ll remember back to a post last week, I shared that this year is a bit crazy in that we are hosting three holiday meals in our home! With one week until Christmas, I know that many of you are like me and are really starting to feel the last minute “crunch” that comes when you look at your forever long to do list and realize how little time is left to get it all done.

In that post, I mentioned that Pepperidge Farm wants to know your best tricks for making ordinary meals holiday worthy. What special tricks do you use to survive the holidays? My three tips are:

• Play up your strengths, embrace your weaknesses! If you make a killer turkey but are scared to death of working with yeast, spend your time doing what you love… make the best turkey ever then turn to Pepperidge Farm for help in the bread department (The Pepperidge Farm Stone Baked Artisan Rolls will be the perfect addition to your amazing turkey!)
• Rely on shortcuts. For example, so many recipes I make during the holiday season require buttermilk, but I always forget to buy buttermilk. 1 cup milk plus 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar or Lemon Juice will create “buttermilk” after sitting for 10 minutes. Know your shortcuts and use them!
• Divvy out responsibilities. I host a ton of dinner parties and people are always impressed by how calm and not crazed I seem. The only reason I can host the parties and stay calm is because I ask for help. I ask guests to contribute by brining things and they are always more than happy to be a big part of the event!

Here are some of your really great tips for holiday meal success:

• Julia from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body says…”My new favorite trick is to pre-cook almost ALL of the appetizers and side dishes, freeze them, and just pop them in the oven the day of. Stuffed mushrooms, artichoke dip, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing. ALL of it can be made in advance. Same with Christmas treats: fudge, cookies, cheesecake, cake. Make in advance when I have the time, freeze and just thaw a few hours before gifting or serving.”
• Fran from On My Plate says…”I am a fan of taking a few shortcuts and enjoying the entertaining process (instead of killing yourself and being worn out when the guests arrive). Here is a holiday entertaining tip that I shared last year: http://my-plate.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-party-tip.html Wash the dishes as you go. Believe me; it is worth it.”
• Divya at Flavour Fiesta says…”I have to say that advance preparation is key. And one should always try out new recipes beforehand to avert disaster.”
• Gina at Chic Homeschool Mama says…”My trick- serve on fancier platters – makes everything seem just a bit more festive!”
• Darlene says…”I have a big family so each wife or husband brings a dish. That way it’s not hard on the person who is hosting it!”
• Evelyn from Best Organizing Tips says…”Plan, plan plan and then plan some more. Right down to exactly how much butter, flour & everything else you need from the store. That way you only need to make one trip. The key is to remove all of the details from your head, and get them down on paper. Now – just don’t lose your lists! (I post them inside my kitchen cabinets. Easy to see, not making visual clutter).”
• Heather from Chirps from the Birdcage says…” I am starting my holiday cooking on the 16th and will cook throughout the next week. Then not cooking on Christmas!”
• Tammy says…”It’s just our family, so we don’t have to cook for a lot of people. But we try and make it fun by letting the kids help cook!”

I hope these tips help you keep things simple this holiday season. Relax, enjoy and have fun celebrating!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Pepperidge Farm. Pepperidge Farm provided me with a stipend for time and materials invested in the Pepperidge Farm® Stone Baked Artisan Rolls tip challenge.

I am going to be cooking / hosting three Christmas dinner parties this month. THREE! It didn’t seem quite so insane until I actually just wrote that out. I love entertaining, especially during the holidays, but I also know how crazy busy this time of year is.  No matter what, I always allow myself to take some shortcuts in the kitchen to alleviate some of the stress that comes along with making and planning holiday meals.

With three holiday events at my home in the near future, I thought it was highly appropriate that I partner with Pepperidge Farm on their challenge to help holiday hosts “elevate” ordinary meals into holiday-ready experiences. I’m going to need all the tips I can get to get through these three parties with my stress level in check.

We tried the Pepperidge Farm Stone Baked Whole Grain Artisan dinner rolls this week with a pot of soup and I have to say they are definitley holiday table worthy. In a pinch (or even not) I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to put these beautiful and delicious rolls on my table with my holiday spread. Besides the flavor, the best part of these rolls was that they were from the freezer to hot and fresh on the table in less than 10 minutes. I plan on having these dinner rolls on hand for our parties as well as for our own family dinners! Quick, easy and delicious… you can’t ask for much more than that.

I’d love to know some of your tips for making ordinary meals more holiday worthy. What tips can you share that will help time crunched cooks deliver a delicious and stress free holiday meal? Leave your best tips in the comment section and I’ll come back here next week to share some of your ideas for holiday meal success!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Pepperidge Farm. Pepperidge Farm provided me with a stipend for time and materials invested in the Pepperidge Farm® Stone Baked Artisan Rolls tip challenge.

I’ve never been a fan of the huge Thanksgiving feast. I love food, I love gathering together, but “traditional” Thanksgiving food has never been my favorite. One thing I always have loved and looked forward to at Thanksgiving was my mom’s homemade dinner rolls. Buttery, soft and fluffy, I could fill my plate up with those and be fine.

As the years have passed and traditions have changed, I somehow came to be in charge of dinner rolls at our holiday meals. I love making homemade bread, so that wasn’t a problem, but finding a recipe that could compete with my mom’s delicious rolls was hard. She mostly knew her recipe by site, so translating it was never easy.

One day several years ago I stumbled across this recipe for Country White Dinner Rolls done in the bread machine. It is the recipe my mom now uses when she makes rolls. It is simple to put together and (although the picture doesn’t do it justice) makes the most delicious, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls.

If you are searching for a simple yet delicious bread roll recipe to adorn your Thanksgiving table, give this recipe a try. It will be the star of your feast!

Recipe: Country White Dinner Rolls (from Food.com)